Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has been indefinitely suspended by the National Hockey League (NHL) after being arrested for Domestic Violence. Voynov was arrested at 3:45 a.m. ET (12:45 a.m. PT) Monday morning.
The suspension was announced after the NHL and the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) consulted. The NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) states that “the League may suspend the Player pending the League’s formal review and disposition of the matter where the failure to suspend the Player during this period would create a substantial risk of material harm to the legitimate interests and/or reputation of the League” during a criminal investigation.
Voynov’s agent, Rolland Hedges, declined to comment on the situation, telling ESPN.com “I’m Sorry. I really can’t.” Hedges also stated that he is gathering more information about the situation. Voynov, who is credited with two assists in six games this season, will continue to get paid during his suspension.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said that the league has been working on a policy with the union for the past decade when he was asked about the issue at the season’s beginning.
Here is Bettman’s statement:
“We as a league have more than enough authority and mechanisms to punish, if necessary, in the appropriate case. Fortunately we haven’t seen too many. But more importantly we focus on counseling and education, and in the joint programs we have with the Players’ Association we’ve been counseling and educating on domestic violence for more than a decade, I don’t remember the exact date
“The security department does it in their annual meetings with each team, and the behavioral counselors from the substance abuse, behavioral health program also counsel and educate the players on those and many other issues.
“So I’m not sure for us there is any need for any codes of conduct other than our players, who overwhelming conduct themselves magnificently off the ice — we deal with it on a case by case basis. I don’t think we need to formalize anything more. Our players know what’s right and wrong, and as I said, we have the mechanisms in place to hopefully not get to that point.”
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